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Gates 
The  Dark 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE  DA 


K 


THE    DARK 


THE  DARK 


BY 

ELLEN  M.  H.  GATES 


NEW   YORK 
1904 


Copyright,  1904,  by 

ELLEN  M.  H.  GATES 


THE   DARK 

I  am  the  Dark,  the  ancient  one, 
Before  the  days  and  years  begun, 
I  hovered  formless,  silent,  cold, 
And  filled  the  void.      No  page  unrolled, 
Makes  mention  of  my  timeless  reign; 
No  rock  on  mountain-top  or  plain, 
By  scar  or  symbol,  now  can  tell, 
The  secrets  that  I  know  so  well. 


904097 


I  am  the  Dark,  the  first  to  be; 

My  own  beginning  baffles  me. 

I  seemed  a  thing  apart,  forgot, 

Which  was  —  because  the  Light  was  not. 

I  dwelt  with  Chaos;  place  I  kept 

As  atom  unto  atom  crept, 

Till  Order  stood,  with  sinews  set, 

And  law  with  law  like  brothers  met. 


I  am  the  Dark,  for  still  I  stay, 
With  half  my  kingdom  wrenched  away. 
There  came  an  hour  when  all  the  black, 
A  filmy  screen,  was  folded  back. 
Above  me,  through  me,  everywhere, 
Were  scarlet  streaks  and  golden  glare; 
And  mighty  winds  began  to  blow 
The  trailing  mist-wreaths  to  and  fro. 


I  am  the  Dark.     The  eye  that  sees 
The  midnight  moons  and  Pleiades, 
Must  wait  for  me.      I  claim  the  sky 
To  show  the  splendors  swinging  high 
In  space  so  deep,  and  wide,  and  black, 
That  thought  itself  comes  trembling  back. 
The  Sun  may  show  the  sea  and  sod, 
But  I— the  far-off  fields  of  God  ! 


I  am  the  Dark.     My  paths  I  keep; 
No  hour  too  soon  the  light  may  creep 
Above  the  hills,  no  moment  late 
The  Sun  may  reach  the  western  gate. 
The  shadows  are  my  own;  their  wings 
They  spread  above  all  breathing  things, 
Till  joy  and  pain,  and  more  and  less, 
Are  one  in  sleep's  unconsciousness. 


I  am  the  Dark.     The  under-world, 

With  soundless  rivers  onward  whirled, 

Is  mine  alone;  and  mine  the  lakes, 

O'er  which  the  morning  never  breaks. 

I  dwell  in  caverns,  vast,  unknown, 

Whose  walls  are  wrought  from  primal  stone; 

There  Silence,  Death,  and  I,  can  wait, — 

Creation's  grim  triumvirate  ! 


I  am  the  Dark,  and  forth  and  back, 
As  God's  own  servant,  robed  in  black, 
I  go  and  come.     His  dead  I  keep 
Within  my  chambers  while  they  sleep. 
Who  knows  my  doom  ?    Perhaps,  at  last, 
I  may  be  ended,  outward  cast 
From  all  that  is,  my  deepest  night 
Invaded  by  resistless  light ! 

ELLEN  M.  H.  GATES. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


Form  L9-40m-7,'56(C790s4) 444 


•HKBSH". 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


